Forgotten Keep and the Western Lands

From Hut to Hut

22

OCT/13

As Lars peered out of the hut entrance from behind his shield he could see from between two humans, one with a crossbow and the other with a net another human speaking above the murmur of the group that had surrounded the grass hut and the crackle of torches. “Thrown down ye weapons and show ye selves and ye lives will be spared ye land lubbers!” and a cheer went up from all around the tent. Beside this blond haired human was another hunched over human with numerous beads and necklaces in his hair and around his neck. He appeared to be occasionally whispering and leaning on his thick walking stick.

Nemi and Delen could see the large group of mismatched humans surrounded the hut with crossbows and nets at the ready. With their attention focused on the grass hut containing Rolf, Lars, Theoren and Talwyn it was easy for Nemi to slip through the opening in the brambles and move to the body that had been crushed into the brambles a few minutes earlier by Rolf’s ax. Nemi quickly slung the body over her shoulder and moved back through the hole in the brambles.

Gilven could hear all the voices clearly from the next hut over, this back and leg throbbing from two wounds he removed a blue colored potion from his back and drank it in a single gulp. He immediately felt a warm tingling sensation fill his body and this wounds cease their throbbing. Still hearing several humans from the tower calling out his location he parted the wall of the grass hut and slipped out into the shadows. Moving quickly to the bramble wall he found the opening in which they had all come in and quickly ducked through it. There Nemi and Delen were stripping clothing off the dead slaver and splitting it among themselves. After a minute of dressing Nemi and Delen looked similar to the human slavers inside the camp. After a few seconds of discussion Gilven moved off along the outside of the bramble barrier towards the tower which he had been shot from. As he did Nemi and Delen heard someone exclaim they had spotted the opening in the bramble barrier. In a surprisingly accurate imitation of the slaves speech Delen replied he was already looking into it and him and Nemi lit torches and moved into the camp. Satisfied the human turned his attention back to the grass hut as Delen and Nemi moved along the brambles toward the tower mirroring Galven but on the inside of the camp.

Meanwhile inside the hut Theoren and Talwyn had managed to free all five of the native captives and equip them with a battle ax from Lars and Rolf, a spear from Talwyn, hand axe from? and a bow from ?. They also managed to move two of the posts from the wall of the hut. As they prepared to to rush out of the hut Talwyn crawled in the back of the hut till she could see the human leader who had demanded their surrender. With her heavy crossbow loaded she fired a bolt past his two guards striking him in the leg. His painful cry quickly changed to an order to fire and the clack of crossbows could be heard from all directions. Bolts flew through the hut walls and skipped off armor, posts and the dirt and then Theoren and the three dwarfs rushed forward from the hut. Nets flew from every direction as the group exited the tent but they were able to avoid them as they rushed towards the leader. The smaller hunched human quickly chanted in a surprisingly strong voice. He gestured towards Talwyn and a green bolt of what looked like living fog streaked towards and engulfed her and sinking into her skin. As it did she cried in pain as her skin seemed to sag and welt as if the life had been drained from her. Lars and Theoren tossed the two posts at the guards in front of the leader knocking on of them to the ground and the other back a few steps. Rolf rushed past them swinging his Ax wildly at the leader. Talwyn staggering and unable to keep up with the others reached into her pack and produced a healing potion which she quickly drank.

Theoren lept over a guard and avoided a second green ray as he managed to wound the hunched beady eyed human with his rapier. Lars and Rolf managed to wound the leader as humans rushed at them from all directions. Talwyn was surrounded a bit behind the rest of the group. Lars and Rolf took several wounds from the leader and the other slavers surrounding them before Rolf hit the leader with a staggering blow which he surprisingly was able to withstand before he retreated away from the group with one other human protecting him. As he did Lars was struck from behind and collapsed to the ground unconscious and bleeding. As had happened with Talwyn, Rolf and Theoren were quickly separated from Lars in the chaos of battle. Rolf with enemies at his back and sides rushed forward pursuing the leader taking wounds as he did. The leaders guard braced himself to meet Rolfs change but turned to the side at the last moment as Rolf’s ax slashed into the ground beside him. Counter attacking he slashed Rolf in the side. Theoren being pressed from all directions managed to wound the spell casting human again but sustained a wound himself as a human in chainmail wielding a longsword slashed him across the back.

Galvin, crouched and moving stealthily along the brambles suddenly heard the cries of battle erupt inside from inside the camp. Standing up he moved to get a view of the leader of the slavers but his view was blocked by the mob of warriors. Concentrating for a moment he sent four streaks of blue energy towards the chainmail clad warrior on Theoren’s flank. With the warrior at his back momentarily distracted Theoren rushed forward as the spell caster tried to retreat and stabbed him twice with his rapiers. As the blood stained his clothing the hunched man stumbled and fell to the dirt and remained there in a slowly growing puddle of his own blood.

Galvin moved again looking for an angle between the huts where he could help Theoren and Rolf, as he rushed farther around the bramble barrier he spotted the leader with his silvery longsword and chainmail armor holding his side backed up against a hut. Galvin quickly recited a few words of arcana and four more blue streaks of light left his hands and blasted into the leaders side and he fell to the ground. Rolf seeing the leader drop turned to face the slavers on his flank. As he did Theoren rushing to him with numerous slavers in pursuit. With their backs to the grass hut Theoren and Rolf stood their ground as the slavers attacked from all around them. Rolf surrounded and pressed hard from all sides turned and crashed through the wall of the grass hut landing on a small table which he flattened and crashed to the dirt floor. As Theoren struggled with attackers from all directions Galvin rushed out of the darkness behind him, his clothing torn and covered in brambles. As he raised his hands fire rushed forward engulfing the area and its occupants except Theoren whom the flames warped around leaving him untouched. Using this distraction Theoren crashed through the wall a few seconds later with Galvin right behind him. As the three battered warriors planned their next move they quickly consumed healing potions. As they did another slaver moved to the entrance of the hut and slashed at Rolf who had moved to protect it. Another slaver slashed at Theoren through one of the holes made by their entrance. Rolf Slammed his ax into the chest of the slaver and as he fell to the ground sound of crossbows clacked as several bolts pierce the grass hut but missed the elf, dwarf and human inside.

Nemi and Delen hearing the dwarfs charge dropped their torches and ducked into the shadows quickly moving towards the tower. In the tower they could four guards peering out at the battle with crossbows drawn. Moving undetected to the base of the tower Delen raced up the ladder and stabbed one of the guards with his shortsword, Nemi close behind lept into the tower and struck the hard with her quarter staff knocking him unconscious. The guards dropped their crossbows and drew steel and they squared off with Delen and Nemi. Delen slashed one as Nemi’s staff exploded his nose and he collapsed to the ground. The last guard dressed in chainmail and wielding a longsword dodged Nemi’s swing and caught her off balancing propelling her over the half-wall of the tower. Her staff clattered to the ground and she rotated in mid air grabbing the edge of the half-wall and catching her self. As she pulled herself back into the tower Delen managed to parry the attacks directed at him. Nemi dropped back into the tower, picking up her staff and cracked the guard in the back of the leg as Delen sword slashed his side and his dagger pierces his armor at his armpit dropping him to the group. With the tower secure Delen once again imitating the slavers called for help at the tower. Four of them moved away from the group to investigate. As they did Delen and Nemi fired on them dropping one, the Slavers quickly returned fire striking Nemi with a deep wound that sent her staggering back into the tower barely able to remain standing.

Meanwhile Rolf once again rushed out of the hut toward a group of four humans armed with crossbows take fire as he did but reaching them none the less as they scrambled to draw cutlasses. As Rolf rushed forward Theoren lept from the opening which he had come through and moved to help Rolf draw the slavers into a group. As he left the hut a slaver slashed at him and gave chase. Gilven waited a few seconds before moving out of the hut towards the group attacking his companions and once again raised his hands as flames leapt forward engulfing the group but somehow leaving Rolf and Theoren unharmed. Several of the slavers screamed in pain and one ran a few feet before succumbing to the flames. The rest continued to fight…